Research Analyst, Center for Ocean Solutions

The Center for Ocean Solutions (COS) is a collaboration between the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to develop practical and sustainable strategies that address the major environmental and economic challenges facing our ocean by bringing leading experts in marine science and policy together with decision makers.

COS seeks a Research Analyst (for the Monterey office) who has received a masters degree in an appropriate social science field in the last ten years, to collaborate with researchers and experts on an interdisciplinary project focused on seafood security in the Hawaiian Islands. The Research Analyst will be responsible for: a) developing and helping implement social science surveys in indigenous communities in the study region and working closely with project team members in this endeavor; b) developing databases for the project; c) performing quality control and assessment on datasets for the project and analyzing complex social datasets; and d) developing written outputs of these analyses and the key project findings for a variety of audiences (including scientific audiences, community groups, and the public). The RA will have the opportunity to help develop analytical approaches as needed while working with COS directors, fellows, and interns. The individual must excel in written and verbal communication and have the ability to work in a collaborative, team environment.
The Research Analyst will be responsible for the following specific tasks:
• Coordinating the research, analysis, and fieldwork in three project communities;
• Coordinating social scientific research activities, including surveys on aspects of human wellbeing as they relate to coastal fisheries, including: food security; health, diet and wellness; household economics; cultural identity and integrity
• Liaise with project partners, community leaders and organizations, and the project team, and other stakeholders to ensure the success of research activities;
• Develop and maintain a database of social data from these research activities, according to best management practices and accepted scientific standards;
• Analyze the results of survey data and work with a GIS specialist to develop spatial characterizations of these data to present back to community members, stakeholders, and other partners;
• Together with project partners, implement household surveys on seafood security and community wellbeing to quantify the subsidy effect of nearshore marine ecosystems on social wellbeing, linking these findings to existing datasets on biophysical attributes of nearshore fisheries and ecosystem services data;
• Develop reports summarizing research findings from these activities;
• Present results of this research to stakeholders and work to prepare, as needed, additional ways of communicating this science to community members and other stakeholders.

Term of appointment: This posiion is funded for a 1-year appointment at a half-time level (0.5 FTE). Any extension is contingent on additional funding, as well as the individual analyst’s work performance and the Center’s needs.